A professor was killed at the University of California, Los Angeles, commonly known as UCLA, on Wednesday by a gunman on campus. Thousands of students were forced to hide in classrooms. The assailant, who shot himself after gunning down the professor, was later identified by a police spokesperson as Mainak Sarkar, an Indian doctoral student at the university.

He reportedly opened fire on campus at 10 am, forcing varsity authorities to declare a lockdown. A citywide alert was issued as police forces moved in to contain the shooter. Sarkar was found dead after two hours of combing operations. The campus was declared safe, but classes were cancelled for the rest of the day and will resume on Thursday.

Gun control is a sensitive issue in the United States, with the two major political parties – the Republicans and the Democrats – unable to come to a consensus. While the Democrats favour stricter gun control norms, Republicans believe tighter rules will violate the second amendment to their Constitution, which gives Americans the right to bear arms.